Keith Henry Brown - jazzreview.com - Your Jazz Music Connection - jazzreview.com - Your Jazz Music Connectionhttp://www.jazzreview.com
Fri, 09 Dec 2016 11:34:09 -0600Joomla! - Open Source Content Managementen-gbEric Dolphy Jazz Graphic Novel seeks fundinghttp://www.jazzreview.com/jazz-news/news-story/eric-dolphy-jazz-graphic-novel-seeks-funding.html
http://www.jazzreview.com/jazz-news/news-story/eric-dolphy-jazz-graphic-novel-seeks-funding.html"Eric Dolphy His Life and Art" is a dream project for the artist Keith Henry Brown, an illustrator, writer and Art Director who served from 2001 to 2004 as the design director at Jazz at Lincoln Center, working under Wynton Marsalis. "My aesthetic at that time was the wonderful old art of jazz record covers, which I wanted all of JALC'S branding to reflect. I think Wynton felt the same." After leaving Lincoln Center, Brown still continues to use the look of the old Blue Note covers and the wonderful drawings used on the Norman Granz Jazz at The Philharmonic…

"Eric Dolphy His Life and Art" is a dream project for the artist Keith Henry Brown, an illustrator, writer and Art Director who served from 2001 to 2004 as the design director at Jazz at Lincoln Center working under Wynton Marsalis . My aesthetic at that time was the wonderful old art of jazz record covers, which I wanted all of JALC'S branding to reflect. I think Wynton felt the same." Even after leaving Lincoln Center, Brown still continues to use the look of the old Blue Note covers and the wonderful drawings used on the Norman Granz Jazz at The Philharmonic records as an inspiration when designing record covers for many well-known jazz artists. "I was really thinking about those records when I did Christian McBride's cover for his album Kind Of Brown, for example."

But why a Eric Dolphy comic book?

'My background is in comics. I worked at Marvel Comics in the early eighties and Eric Dolphy is just someone whose music and persona I've always liked and admired. This project to me is a true labor of love. Just something I feel I have to do. " This "labor of love" is a graphic novel about the influential multi-instrumentalist Dolphy, who's known for his work with John Coltrane, Charles Mingus as well as his own brilliant recording efforts as a leader. Through colorful drawings, narrative and dialogue, Brown tells the story of his favorite musical artist. After making the rounds to several publishers, Brown decided to try to go it alone and publish it himself, with the hopes the project will be picked up by a small publishing house in the future.

Brown decided to try Kickstarter.com, a website that helps creative people fund their projects through donations. "What's most important is to it get out there, that people get to see it. I'd especially like young people to get to know Eric. That's why I chose a comic format. There's precious little out there available on him. But mostly, he's an inspiration to keep working hard and following your muse. He's certainly taught me to."

To Donate and see sample images, here's a link: href=http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/keithhenrybrown/jazz-graphic-novel